NEDERLAND -- The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) experienced sticker shock related to several issues on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. 

The BOT was faced with reconciling a 13% increase to its law enforcement contract as well as the need for up to $40,000,000 in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements over the next ten years. 

Division Chief Jason Oehlkers and Sergeant Jennifer Mendez from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) presented the 2025 contract for law enforcement services. The total cost to the Town is set at $1,054,037.01, an increase of $121,838.09 over 2024.

At least 4% of the increase is attributed to BCSO Deputy’s salaries and cost of benefits and worker’s compensation insurance. According to Oehlkers, the remaining 9% of the increase covers vehicle maintenance and equipment costs, as well as reflecting an update to their contract formula.

The formula update specifically highlighted discrepancies between how much worker’s compensation and officer training truly cost and what was being charged per the contract.    

Most Trustees felt blindsided by the 13% increase, especially once Oehlkers noted that such an increase can be expected each year that Nederland is under contract with BCSO, though the amount may fluctuate. Trustees Tania Corvalan and Kristopher Larsen called the yearly increase “untenable.”

In addition to the increase, Town Treasurer Rita Six reiterated that the Town of Nederland has been paying for full law enforcement coverage since contracting with BCSO in fall of last year, despite Nederland not becoming fully staffed with dedicated deputies until June. 

Oehlkers specified that BCSO required payment of the contract in order to fund academy training for the new recruits who would eventually be stationed in Nederland. 

In addition to the Town paying for full time officers that it did not have for several months, the contract also required Nederland to pay for extra duty officers who were paid overtime to provide law enforcement in place of those full time dedicated officers who were still in training. 

Six added that the Town spent $50,000 over budgeted projections for 2024 on extra duty officers. She also noted that the funds collected from traffic enforcement did not come close to projected revenue in the 2024 budget. Oehlkers explained that BCSO would need to make 4,000 traffic stops a year to reach a projected revenue of $80,000.

About 700 traffic stops were made so far this year, with BCSO totalling nearly 9,000 traffic stops across all of its contracts. Mayor Pro Tem Nichole Sterling offered speed cameras as a solution, which would save the Town roughly $61,200 in extra duty traffic enforcement, though at a yearly cost of $200,232.  

Trustees directed Town staff to gather more information regarding a potential decrease in the level of law enforcement service being provided by BCSO, and asked Oehlkers to provide a more detailed breakdown of services, specifically separating the cost of traffic enforcement from the cost of desired “community policing.” 

The matter of the 2025 BCSO contract will continue to be discussed during the BOT’s budget-focused work session scheduled for October 29.     

Utilities Manager Andrew Bliss presented two draft 10-year plans for needed water and wastewater capital improvement projects. The plans were developed in collaboration with the Town’s engineering consultants JVA and third party utilities management consultants Raftelis. 

Bliss began by providing an overview of the Town’s water and wastewater systems, from supply to treatment facilities, collection systems, software and monitoring systems, and water meters. He also highlighted the challenges to maintaining those systems, which include expanding the Town’s water supply, replacing the aging infrastructure, improving the water flow required to fight fires, and adjusting for the unknown impacts of Town growth and regulatory changes.  

Andrew Sparn of JVA supplied the Board with a list of proposed projects aimed at tackling the challenges to Nederland’s water and wastewater systems over the next ten years. Those projects pertaining to the Town’s water supply and infrastructure, all of which are aimed at increasing water capacity, replacing old and outdated infrastructure, and improving the ability to fight fires, would cost a total of $17,980,353.

These projects include constructing by 2027 raw water storage at a cost of $3,043,000; expanding the water treatment plant by 2034 at a cost of $2,704,000; constructing storage tanks in the Big Springs neighborhood by 2029 at a cost of $2,508,667; and replacing up to two miles worth of pipeline in Big Springs, currently at risk of freezing, by 2032, at a cost of $3,215.379. 

Projects improving the Town’s wastewater infrastructure, many of which concern capacity issues and potential regulatory changes, would cost a total of $19,009,000. These projects include acquiring the required permits for an expansion of the wastewater treatment facility, which would cost $1,609,000, and construction of that expansion at a cost of $12,043,000.  

Board members mostly asked for estimates on a timeframe regarding when capacity and regulatory changes would trigger the need for major facility expansions. The presentation was created based on estimations of a 20-year period at a rate of 1% growth. However, it was stated several times throughout the presentation that an estimated timeframe for needed expansions depends on the size and impact of specific developments. It was also noted that, regarding regulatory changes, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment could decide to change the Town of Nederland’s water permits at any point.   

Bliss was also scheduled to propose upgrading Nederland’s 871 Zenner water meters to meters by Badger, which utilize a cellular-based reading system. The different reading system would save the Town money in the long term as the installation and ongoing maintenance of radio antennas would no longer be required. The matter was tabled until a future meeting.

The BOT approved Resolution 2024-38, amending the Special Review Use from TEENS, Inc. to allow the organization to enter into a ground lease agreement for their childcare facility by February 28, 2025. 

Trustees also approved allocating $9,647.28 from the Town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the Boulder County Co-Responder program for the remainder of 2024. Town staff will continue to attempt negotiations with the County regarding funding the program in 2025.

The Board approved Ordinance 867, changing Nederland Municipal Code to include “statutory authority language and missing definitions” which are required in order to comply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Plan regulations.

The Nederland Board of Trustees meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 7 p.m. and can be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/board-of-trustees.